Best Ways to Promote Your Brands Instagram AR Filter in 2024

Instagram AR (Augmented Reality) filters have become a popular tool for businesses to reach a wider audience and engage their existing followers. Since AR emerged in 2014, the growth has been vast and quick - constantly evolving.

Let’s understand how Instagram AR filters work and what they are

Facebook and Instagram filters are a type of AR that uses the camera on a user's smartphone to add special effects to their photos and videos. These effects can include things like face filters, lens effects, and creative filters that can be applied to Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, posts on your feed and more! Additionally, you can pair your AR filters with polls, questions, and other interactive features that can help to increase engagement with your filter also.

How to keep your Instagram following engaged with an AR Filter

AR Filters are essentially ‘immersive tech’ so it’s important to think freely when identifying what is special or unique to your business and how that can be translated to get the best out of your AR filter. First, think about the objective for your filter. 

• Is the purpose of your filter for daily interaction, used by anyone and everyone? We would recommend going with something simple and user friendly. 

• Maybe you’re looking for brand, product or campaign awareness? A ‘Randomiser’ or ‘Tap to Change’ AR filter can creatively display your product or service for users to interact with (we’re able to work with 2D and 3D elements to get the best out of your filter). 

• Are you a brand that values daily engagement with your followers and posts frequently to your IG story? A more personalised AR filter can keep things cohesive and really elevate your IG story game. This can be a great way to showcase your brand's personality. 

Essentially, you’re getting ‘brownie points’ from your followers for thinking outside the box and treating their experience with your business as something they won’t find anywhere else. Especially while AR is still being adopted globally (even though the sector's growth is in the billions), the more places your brand is seen, the better right?! So, recreate that perfect ‘virtual shopping experience’ or display a 3D version of your latest product in the user's home - AR is moving the perimeters in which brands and consumers interact and we’re here to make that happen for you! 

FIVE tips to promote your Instagram AR Filter

• Promote it on other social media platforms. For example, you can create a short video demonstrating how to use your filter and post it on your brand's Facebook or Twitter account. This will help to increase awareness of your filter and attract new followers to your Instagram account.

• Host a variety of filters on your Instagram account! Staying active and up to date in the AR Filter world is key to trend setting. Do you have any notable events or celebrations coming up? We can work with you to create an AR filter perfect for event attendees to use when posting to their Instagram story. Whatever your idea or next big thing, speak with us to see how we can bring it to life. 

• Create a QR Code or host an AR Filter sharing competition. We’ve seen it work before - gain incredible engagement for your AR Filter by pairing it with a giveaway OR create a QR Code for users to easily locate your AR filter!

• Start experimenting with Facebook AR Ads. It’s no secret that Facebook ads are an affordable means of reaching your target audience and driving online sales. This is key to reaching more of your target audience, familiarise them with both your branding and Augmented Reality by changing the way you use FB ads. 

• Create something simple to increase usability! A cute colour effect where the user looks a touch more glowy and golden could be all you need to make your filter go viral. These kinds of filters are usually promoted for you by the users themselves (think ‘User Generated Content’) - with each person viewing the filter story able to try it for themselves, post using it or save for later use. Keep your filter relatively ‘non-invasive’ and it’s likely that you could expect some really great reach! 

60% of users regularly discover new products on Instagram and Instagram stories are used more than 500 million times per day. That…is A LOT of opportunity for your business or brand to get in front of its consumers.